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ICYMI: Highlights From the 2023 Community Oncology Conference
Our top coverage from this year’s Community Oncology Conference, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance, included discussions around alternative payment models, shifts in the community oncology landscape in recent decades, and the need for reform in several areas.
Our top coverage from this year’s Community Oncology Conference, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), included discussions around alternative payment models, shifts in the community oncology landscape in recent decades, and the need for reform in several areas, including pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices, 340B drug discounts, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
5. Ben Jones: Collaboration Between CMMI, Providers, Practices Needed for EOM
Ben Jones, vice president of Government Relations and Public Policy at the US Oncology Network, discussed a range of issues raised at the 2023 Community Oncology Conference in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®). While many themes took shape at this year’s meeting, including discussions around the cost of care and the potential for value-based approaches, Jones highlighted conversations around PBMs and the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) as crucial topics in community oncology.
4. Dr Debra Patt: Consolidation and New Advanced Therapies in Oncology
In an interview with AJMC, Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president at Texas Oncology, discussed changes that community oncology has gone through in recent decades, including consolidation of practices driven by market shifts aligning with large hospital systems. Patt also gave insight into the remarkable strides in cancer therapeutics in the same time frame, such as immunotherapies and targeted therapies.
3. As Decision Time on EOM Nears, Lots of Questions From COA Panel
Payment reform has been a hot topic in the oncology space in recent years, but a panel at the 2023 COA Community Oncology Conference raised a number of concerns around the EOM, an alternative payment model that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation launched in July of 2023. While many attendees at the meeting had hoped to say “yes” to the EOM—which hadn’t yet begun at the time—many of the model’s parameters, including practices taking on downside risk from the start, elicited frustration from panelists.
2. COA: An Advocacy Group Born in Crisis Looks Back at 20 Years
COA marked its 20th year at the annual Community Oncology Conference, and the opening session of the meeting welcomed back former presidents and highlighted the early days of the group’s work on Capitol Hill. While policies have changed and the group’s impact has grown in the 20 years since its inception, it retains the spirit of an upstart advocacy group in many ways, its leaders said. A panel discussion on the value of community oncology rounded out the session.
1. Could This Be the Year for PBM Reform? COA Panel Weighs in
A group of Capitol Hill experts took part in discussions around PBMs, the IRA, and 340B reform, highlighting areas that have finally become topics of “mainstream conversation” thanks in part to COA’s efforts. While COA leaders have long been working to raise awareness of alarming practices by PBMs, bipartisan awareness of said practices has only recently come to a point at which Congress might act, according to the panelists. The discussion also highlighted potential impacts of the IRA on providers, as well as the need to ensure that 340B drug discounts are pulled through to patients.
The Push for Fair Pricing and Reform in Pharmacy Benefit Management
April 3rd 2025Amid growing legislative pressures and industry debates, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are exploring new strategies to enhance transparency, reduce patient costs, and navigate the evolving healthcare landscape.
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Exploring Racial, Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Care Prior Authorization Decisions
October 24th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the author of a study published in the October 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® that explored prior authorization decisions in cancer care by race and ethnicity for commercially insured patients.
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Using AI-Driven Strategies to Optimize Specialty Drug Costs, Manage Polypharmacy
April 2nd 2025As health care costs continue to rise, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions are emerging as a powerful tool for managing specialty drug spending and polypharmacy risks, as showcased in recent research presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2025 conference.
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Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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How Recent Federal Policy Changes Are Shaping Managed Care Pharmacy
April 2nd 2025Federal legislative and regulatory changes are reshaping pharmacy practice, with key challenges in government funding, pharmacy benefit manager reform, and health care policy shifts—topics explored by experts at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's annual meeting.
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